Rain
by veiledndarkness
Summary: In the middle of a thunderstorm is where Jack wants to be. Warning!: Slash


Title: Rain

Author: veiledndarkness

Rating: PG –R depending on how you feel about swearing and some partial nudity

Word Count: 1296

Summary: another of the chart prompts – this one is #41 appropriately titled Rain

Warnings: not much really… just that they aren't mine.

Bobby stood at the living room window watching the summer thunderstorm flood the yard. The rain had been pouring for hours, hard and unrelenting. Although the rain was strong, the air still felt hot and sticky.

'No relief in sight from this shit' Bobby thought with a grimace twisting his lips. The heat wave had lasted for well over two weeks. Everyone was desperate for rain, even just a quick shower to give the parched lawns a drink. Anything to break up the humidity. Now it was if the heavens had opened and a deluge threatened them.

Bobby stood, arms crossed as he watched Jack stand in the backyard. He could feel a trickle of sweat run down his neck, trailing down to settle in the small of his back. And as the sweat drop rolled down his back, he watched Jack face the rain, his head tilted to kiss the air. Jack had been soaked through less than five seconds after going outside.

Bobby had been sitting in the kitchen, a cold beer pressed against his forehead. This room was the last one that had any slightly cooler air in it. He glanced up as Jack made his way across the kitchen tiles, a determined look on his face. The kitchen door slammed shut as Jack went outside. He stared in disbelief.

Jack had been a bit more distant than usual since last winter, since their revenge, since Evelyn's death. He'd retreated within himself, similar to how he was during the first awkward months after he had been brought to the Mercer home. Bobby cursed inwardly as he realized that Jack had been backsliding for quite some time. Ma dying had seemed to push him into isolation.

Now Bobby walked to the screen door and watched Jack stand in the flooded backyard. Jack slowly lifted his shirt up and over his arms. Bobby heard the soaked shirt hit the ground with an audible plop. Jack then raised his hands above his head, palms up. The rain poured over him in waves.

The peaceful look on his face made Bobby's breath catch. He'd not seen such an expression of calm on Jack's face in months. Bobby felt his eyes wander as Jack stretched and moved in the rain. His eyes lingered on Jack's chest and stomach as the water sluiced down. He felt sweat start to form and bead on his upper lip as he stared.

'I've seen Jack mostly naked before' he reasoned to himself. A house with that many people living in it and only one bathroom, you saw some nudity. But you never looked closely. But here and now, watching Jack pull his shirt off, watching the water caress his skin made Bobby break out in goose bumps.

He could see Jack's eyes as they opened and closed, clearly relishing the feel of the water pouring over him. Bobby shuddered in the suddenly overheated room as he saw Jack run his arms over his head, his neck and his stomach. Bobby groaned softly.

A sudden image flashed through his mind then. He saw himself licking the droplets from Jack's throat then from his stomach, then… Bobby blinked as Jack turned to face him. He stood sopping wet, arms reaching out to the sky, hair hanging in his face, eyes closed in bliss as the rain ran over him. He opened his eyes slowly.

He met Bobby's and grinned. He winked then turned his palms outward, turning around again to face away from him. Bobby's nostrils flared in annoyance. The little tease! His mind made up, he slammed the kitchen door open and stalked through it. He walked through the muddy yard, right until he was behind Jack. He waited a moment.

"It's much nicer out here, isn't it Bobby?" Jack asked

"In this?" Bobby yelled, struggling to be heard over the booming thunder.

"Yeah, it feels so good, the water cleans…" Jack said, his voice trailing off. He opened his eyes again and faced Bobby. They locked eyes and Bobby felt a surge of familiar protectiveness flood him. 'Protective yet annoyed' he reminded himself.

"You're crazy Jackie! You know that right? What the fuck are you doing out here?" he yelled, wiping at his hair which was now hanging in his face. Jack merely smiled and laughed at the look on Bobby's face.

"I feel free Bobby. The water washes it all away." Jack said, smiling and tilting his head up towards the sky. Bobby sighed. 'So we are back to this' he thought sadly.

After all these years, Jack still felt unclean and unworthy. So many years spent telling Jack that the love wasn't a dream, that his home wouldn't be ripped away from him, that he wouldn't be punished for being happy.

"Jack, let's go in man. We'll get dry then I'll put the game on or something" he said. Jack shook his head, sending little droplets from his hair onto Bobby's face.

"Nah, I'm ok out here."

"Damn it Jack, come in, you aren't supposed to stand in the middle of a rainstorm!" he shouted.

Jack shook his head again and turned away from Bobby. "I said I'll stay!" he said softly.

Bobby grunted and muttered to himself, "We'll see about that"

He grabbed Jack by the middle and started pushing him towards the house. Jack struggled a bit as Bobby pushed and prodded. He began to yell after a moment or so of remaining fairly passive.

"No, no Bobby I want to stay! Let me go! Fuckin' let me go! I said let me go! I'm not done yet" Jack yelled, twisting and pulling his arms, pushing Bobby loose from him.

Bobby froze at the fear in Jack's voice. He stopped moving and watched Jack take a few long strides away from him. Shit. Bobby caught up with him after a moment of indecision.

"Jack" he said softly. "Jackie, I'm sorry" Jack sniffed and turned away again, facing the other direction.

Bobby felt his frustration leaking through. Jack turned his head a bit and tilted his head to the side. "I can't go in yet" he said through clenched teeth.

Bobby nodded. He'd stand here as long as it took for Jack to come in. Minutes ticked by and Bobby felt the now cold rain trickle down his face. He watched Jack's face, noting that not all the water on his face was rain.

He debated for a moment, then said "Aw fuck it" and put his arm around Jack's shoulder. Jack melted into Bobby's embrace immediately. His shoulders shook silently. Bobby muttered to him softly while the rain poured over them.

Jack sniffled, and then wiped his nose with his hand. Bobby made a small sound of disgust. "What would Ma say if she saw that Jackie?"

Jack shrugged and smiled a bit.

"You want to go inside now?" he asked. Bobby nodded. They faced the house, and then started towards the door. As they went inside, Bobby looked over his shoulder as he saw the rain slow to a trickle.

'Thank God', he thought. He dried Jack off and sat him on the couch with a quilt wrapped around him. The air inside the house seemed much cooler now. Jack sat completely subdued on the couch, staring at nothing. Bobby put the game on and pulled Jack close to him. They sat back on the couch, Bobby pretending to watch the hockey game while watching Jack, and Jack cuddling close to Bobby, pretending that everything was alright now.


End file.
